8 man

Question
greetings mate,

last year was my first year playing rugby at age 15, 6'1.5 tall weighing 245 playing prop. eventually i got the hang of rugby and loved running with a ball so the coach decided to put me at number 8. the way i played was basically running through people and my style of rugby on both defensive and offense was explosive running and attacking.in our last game in the tournament in Stanford, i was invited to come try out for the national U17's, but couldn't go due to family crisis. this year i would like to be better than last year and be an "impact player". this year I'm 16 Ayers old, 6'2 tall and weigh 256. any tips on drills for speed,fitness for a big 8 man like me to be better and ready this year? that would great.
with much gratitude and appreciation,
tonny

Answer
Hi Tonny,

I suggest getting with a professional trainer or a gym to get a custom work out based on your current levels of speed and fitness. Starting with some initial tests to see where you are at now and so you can measure progress.

If not a trainer than a senior player from a local club who can mentor your game.

Eat healthy well balanced meals, stay away from sodas, booze, pot and all those distractions. Eat well, train hard, rest well and get good sleep.

Here is a great work out that is free:

http://hundredpushups.com/

Do this with a similar crunch and pull up routine and add in run that are 30-40 minutes long with measured distance. After 4-6 weeks of running start to add in some sprint training.

Also look for a prooven stretching routine or even yoga and / or palaties.